Informant
You're being investigated by a Korean-Chinese prostitution broker.
"I really had no idea. I'm shocked."
……. (10 / 1,243 / 3 years 4 months)
Perhaps because they were all NIS agents, none of them showed any fluster. Even the guy who looked like he'd fucked his career to death was holding back, watching the situation unfold.
Inside, they were probably repeating "shit" over and over, but on the outside, they looked perfectly fine. Trained assets, as expected.
But they were still public officials.
"How are we supposed to believe you, Officer Joo Sung-hyun?" (10 / 1,243 / 3 years 4 months)
They were trying to shift the burden of proof onto me.
I glanced briefly at Director Lee Kwang-chul. An NGO worker who catered to foreign laborers earning twice his salary—but that was just a cover. In reality, he was a 3rd-grade NIS officer.
It was only natural they didn't trust me.
But they couldn't just let this slide, right? The fact that a field agent's private life had been exposed was true enough.
This alone could blow up the branch office.
Knowing that, I could afford to push harder.
"Director, I never begged you to believe me."
"……?" (10 / 1,243 / 3 years 4 months)
"I'm just relaying what I heard from a Korean-Chinese broker you don't even care to ask the name of."
"Hehe. Watch your language."
"If that woman is mistaken, then you're not NIS agents—you're NGO workers I'll never see again. I'm not in a position to be polite right now."
I spat out the words and walked out of the branch office.
They might have let me go. After all, they were an intelligence agency. They must have some contingency plan for situations like this.
Exclude the guy who slept with an informant from duty, send him far away, designate me as a security observation target, and monitor the Korean-Chinese broker I mentioned to uncover her identity…
That would be the normal procedure, but this wasn't a normal situation.
It wasn't just a contact—it was sex.
Not the kind where you brag about fucking, but the kind where you pose as an NGO worker, go to a motel with a Korean-Chinese woman, and just… do it. And that's what got exposed.
They wouldn't just let me walk away knowing that.
"Officer Joo Sung-hyun, we'll protect you!" (10 / 1,243 / 3 years 4 months)
"How can a mere NGO organization protect me…"
"We're not an NGO."
Finally, their cosplay was over.
What I wanted wasn't a reduced disciplinary sanction, a quick return to duty, or personal safety from Korean-Chinese gangsters. Those things would resolve themselves naturally once a certain rag was cleaned up.
"How exactly do you plan to protect me?"
"Let's talk about it now." (10 / 1,243 / 3 years 4 months)
"For now… we'll listen."
After that, things went smoothly.
"First, tell us the name of the prostitution broker who allegedly orchestrated your false accusation." (10 / 1,243 / 3 years 4 months)
"Ri Su-jin."
"That's a common name. More details…"
"Isn't monitoring the foreign community your job? You already know. She's the head of one of Gyeonggi Province's top international marriage agencies, and her younger sister, Ri Su-min, is a current police captain. A naturalized Korean cop. You probably have her listed as a B-level person of interest."
Real names. Real stakes.
"Why would Ri Su-jin approach you, Officer Joo Sung-hyun?" (10 / 1,243 / 3 years 4 months)
"You probably already know the answer."
"…True, actually."
"I rejected her illegal proposal, and this is what happened. Since I turned her down, I don't know all the details of her business. But I can point you to where to start digging."
"Where?"
"Ri Su-jin is a former prostitute."
I explained Ri Su-jin's past.
With 999, not 99, I could speak with confidence.
"Ri Su-jin graduated from Yanbian University and came to Korea around late 2012 or early 2013. She worked as a prostitute for two years—maybe two and a half at most."
"Prostitute meaning a hostess?"
"Korean-Chinese women have a high rate of working in that industry, but in Ri Su-jin's case, I'm certain it was office ladies or massage parlors."
"……."
"She had an 8-year-old sister to take care of, and she was attending Erica Cam's graduate school, so she must have worked in Siheung, Suwon, and Annam."
That was likely when Ri Su-jin gathered her initial capital and realized the massive profitability of the prostitution brokerage business.
She might have sold her body even while at Yanbian University, but considering the rates there, a Yanbian University student wouldn't have much incentive to do so.
She definitely came to Korea, strategically entered the market, and then left.
Selling herself over 2,000 times to 999 men would leave traces. Too many. Too much.
"That's all for today. I need to verify the rest myself."
Revealing everything at once would be stupid, so I stopped at a reasonable point.
The NIS agents seemed to believe my testimony was credible.
"Officer Joo Sung-hyun, I just reported on you. We can unofficially protect you…" (10 / 1,243 / 3 years 4 months)
"Am I becoming an informant?"
"Think of it as a preliminary collaborator. Just provide useful information on the case you described."
For the Ri Su-jin case, I was now an NIS informant.
My steps felt lighter as I left.
Back home from the Multicultural Citizen Exchange Center, I ran into a plain-looking Cambodian man in front of the convenience store.
He glanced at me once, then fiddled with his smartphone. A can of beer sat in front of him.
Running into a Southeast Asian sitting alone in front of a convenience store was common in Annam. Normally, I'd just walk past, but I couldn't.
He wore a faded Cambodian national team jersey and jeans. Expensive sneakers.
His appearance was ordinary, his behavior unremarkable…
But the number floating above his messy hair made me suspicious.
"Sir, am I a prostitute? You look at me like that, it's a bit burdensome?" (1 / 119 / 21 hours ago)
He looked like the husband or boyfriend of the Cambodian woman I'd met at Ri Su-jin's company.
His accent was unmistakably Cambodian. Illegal immigrants never wore national team replicas, so he was a legal E-9 worker.
He was likely monitoring me on behalf of the 999, his girlfriend's boss.
As expected, Ri Su-jin was watching me. Using a mild-mannered, football-loving Cambodian in his twenties. There were probably more, but he was the only one near my place.
He was actually a good resource for surveillance. If Ri Su-jin's compatriots had followed me, I would have noticed immediately.
It was expected, so I didn't plan to harm him or use him for any schemes.
But I had something to ask.
"Legal?"
"I'm not illegal. I came here legally with an official visa. A proper legal worker."
"Is your girlfriend legal too? Working at a company in Gajin-dong?"
"Yes. …Ah." (1 / 119 / 21 hours ago)
As I thought. A hardworking Cambodian couple.
His girlfriend worked at a marriage agency, and he probably worked at an industrial complex.
If no disaster struck and they didn't have to return home early, they could live well in their homeland after completing their visa period.
Buy a house, have kids, eat good food.
I didn't want to just walk away after starting a conversation, so I left a few words. It didn't matter if they reached the 999.
"E-9 workers are tied in principle to one workplace. But if the employer's fault makes work impossible, you can change workplaces."
"If the boss beats you, you can move to another factory."
"Assault is one reason. But there are many others."
"Wow, really?"
The employer's disappearance, death, or imprisonment could also be grounds. In that case, foreign workers could change jobs with the Ministry of Employment's permission. His girlfriend would be the same.
I didn't go into further detail.
I hadn't decided what to do yet.
After the sudden visit from the 7th-grade city hall official, the NIS Annam Branch staff stared blankly at each other.
We'll be in touch.
That was the farewell Joo Sung-hyun left behind.
Given his position, "We'll wait" would have been more appropriate than "We'll provide," but no one called him arrogant. His vibe was off, but that wasn't the main issue.
"That guy didn't ask for anything."
"Director?"
"This is the first time someone integrated as an asset didn't demand anything. Normally, they'd at least ask for a reduced sanction."
Director Lee Kwang-chul was puzzled but decided to report honestly to superiors.
A subordinate had been caught sleeping with an informant.
They wanted to hide it, but concealment wasn't an option. If Joo Sung-hyun's testimony was true, the entire branch office was at risk. It was better to be honest, then make up for it with achievements.
"I'll write the report on Joo Sung-hyun myself."
It was more of a memo than a formal report.
Subject: Joo Sung-hyun, Annam City Hall 7th-Grade Official
Selection Circumstances: Complaint of wrongful accusation by illegal Korean-Chinese female. Remarks implying sexual relations between local agents and Korean-Chinese informant. Subsequent tip on specific prostitution broker (Ri Su-jin) within foreign community.
Evaluation: Unconventional observational skills, confusion of personal grievances with public matters, requires caution.
Joo Sung-hyun was a public official, so they had to report to superiors. For illegal immigrants or short-term visa holders, they'd just assign a codename.
Thus, Joo Sung-hyun was now an NIS informant.
Lee Kwang-chul wondered if this was wise, but there was no time to idle.
"We're going on leave starting now."
Immediately, a handwritten notice was posted outside the entrance.
Annam Multicultural Citizen Exchange Center Notice
This center is temporarily closed due to budget and staffing shortages.
Closed. It meant the NGO cover was suspended.
The budget shortage excuse was perfect. Real organizations closed for money too.
They weren't actually short on budget or staff.
"Let's start. Until something comes up."
"Yes."
Visa application records, lists of suspected sham marriages for entertainment industry work, corporate tax filings, cash transaction records. Requests to the Financial Intelligence Service for foreign exchange monitoring. On-site investigations and community infiltration using NIS personnel.
The NIS's all-around investigation into Ri Su-jin had begun.